A really serious Zutara fanfiction ( more or less)
by M.Shelley
Summary: Ok, I really suck at summaries and this is my first lame try for a fanfiction, so please don't leave mean comments ( sorry for my English, well it isn't my motherlanguage :( ) Just read it to find out, what the story is about.
1. Chapter 1

_Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom_

She knew it had to happen. The day, her little girl started to ask questions. She really tried to avoid the contact with others, for her daughter and for herself, so nobody could find them and bring the idea up, that a child must have a father. And there now was this little girl with her big round eyes full of curiosity and fear, what the answer might be. Her amber, almost golden eyes that always reminded her of him.

But how could she explain the situation she had been in to a four-year-old that had almost never contact to other human beings ?

At this point she recognised the tears in her daughters eyes and she felt like the universe just had fallen onto her head. Katara bursted out in tears and hugged her little daughter tightly.

_In the chambers of the Firelord_

Zuko felt sorrow. A deep sorrow that lastet on him for almost five years now. Even if he tried to concentrate on one thing his thougts always drifted away to this person and the questions she left him with and which were burning him from inside for all this time.

He remembered how they both swore to each other that they never would part, that they would ever love each other, and two days later she was gone, gone, gone. The fact that she hadn't given him any explanation just hurts him more, because now there wasn't anything he could deal with, nothing he could argue against, it was driving him crazy and the worst on it was that the others were minding it.

Mai, the queen he had to choose after the love of his life left him broken, just had come up with a plan to overthrow him. She even had had the Fire sages on her side for they didn't trusted in his sanity anymore._ Even uncle Iroh thinks that I'm going to be like Azula, just a little later and worse for there is no Zuko to stop me._ Although the fate of his sister had hurt him, he still didn't want to be like her.

_Too bad I just can't send some of my people there or go there myself to search for her, I really could use her advise yet. _But who could he ask to do this? Her brother? _Hey, Sokka, long time not seen, could you please leave your family for a few weeks to travel to the Earth Kingdom for me, because I, the guy from who all think he's insane, think that your sister might be there and I want her here now?_Or ask his dear friend Aang? _As if he wouldn't search for her already, but not for me. I bet he's still angry of me. _Or maybe he should send a letter to Toph? _Okay, think again, send a letter to a blind woman._

Suddenly he had the idea he searched for: _Ask uncle if he could search for her! He's in the Earth Kingdom already and knows a lot of people there. _He immedeatly took out paper and ink and began writing.


	2. Chapter 2

_Irohs tea shop, Ba Sing Se_

Iroh was just about to drink his usual afternoon tea as a hawk landed before him. It had a scroll with the seal of the Firelord on its back. Iroh smiled: He hadn't heard from his nephew for quite a long time.

_I wonder how Zuko is now._ He always feared that his nephew wouldn't find his way, even yet, after the war, that Zuko would be like his father in ruling the country or worse.

With a sigh he opened the scroll and began to read:

_Dear uncle,_

_I would love to write that all things are going well, but they aren't._

_I know everyone thinks I will be the next insane in our family, honestly I myself think that this is not impossible. But they all don't know what it's like to do this job all alone. I know this sounds like whining, but..._

_Anyway, I don't want to write about the job, something other is bothering me all the time._

_You know I had this relationship with Katara a few years ago, right? Well, since she left all of my thoughts circle around her and why she left for she never gave a reason. Nobody knows where she is now, not even her brother or father, and so I thought that she may is in the Earth Kingdom, because there is much space to hide, you know. _

_What I wanted to write is that you could take some time and search for her?_

_I know all my theories sound like I'm loosing control of myself, and I think this could be true, but I need her, I really do. I feel like with her my life was full of energy and joy and everything was fine (and I was not going insane)._

_Please help me once again_

_Sincerely Zuko_

The face of the old general showed his mixed feelings. On the one hand he was happy for his nephew: He seemed to be aware of his problems and tries to solve them. But on the other hand he was rather worried about him and the view of Zukos handwriting doesn't seem to calm down his sorrows.

He thought of Zukos theory with Katara while he sipped the last of his tea. As he saw the bottom of his cup he had made a decision.

On the same day there was a sign of the door of his tea shop where the sad customers could read: "Closed"


	3. Chapter 3

_Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom_

"So I have a daddy?", the little girl asked. "Yes Xiatian, of course you have.", her mother started but was again interrupted by her daughter "But you won't tell me his name?". Katara just shook her head. " You're mean!" Now her daughter was shouting at her, storming out of the room crying. "But

Xia..." Katara started but the words faded in her mouth. Sadly she slung her arms around her knees and started to sob silently.

_Outer Ring of Ba Sing Se_

Iroh had thought long about how he should find Katara. First he tried to just ask the people if they had heard of a woman called Katara or a woman from the southern water tribe, a waterbender master, silly sure but it could have worked. Probably.

After two days of search (Yes, Ba Sing Se is _that_ large) the only thing he found out was that Katara obviously didn't want to be found. This whole thing was going to annoy him, even if it was for his nephew, who was like a son to him. _Finding people who don't want to be found is just rude to all people involved, _he thought with a sigh.

_On the other side Katara isn't stupid, so she wouldn't stay in the surrounding of a big city when she didn't want to be found. Ever in the case she isn't dead already._ He would never mention it to his nephew but that thought stayed in his mind during the whole search. _She could have went into an adventure and didn't return._ He tried to shoo that thought away. _If she had gone on an adventure she had at last told her family._

Suddenly he felt pain in his stomach. The old general looked down just to see a little boy rubbing his head. "Uhm, sorry...sir." the little one managed to say with a half-hearted grin.

Iroh started to give him some of his good advice as the little one interrupted him "Excuse me sir, but I don't have time for small talk, I have to buy some goods for the nice lady living out of my village and be out of the city before they close the door for the night.". The boy wanted to run away, but Iroh held his arm tightly. "Where is your village?".

Finally he had at least a clue where she could be.

_Palace of the Firelord_

Zuko sat on his desk what felt like a ton of paperwork before him.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and without his permission a fire sage went in. The sage enrolled a scroll and started to read out loud what was written on it.

" Firelord Zuko,

we the Fire Sages consider it as our duty to the nation to secure its safety and well-being. With your currently state of mind we think it is better for you and all our people when you spend some time with doctors all around you, next to princess Azula. For this time we will rule the state.

Please don't fight us, we have thought a lot about this and have the permission of the Avatar.

You see even your friends do admit it. Now please follow the guards to your new home."

With the last sentence two guards came in lightly placing their hands on his shoulders.

Zuko knew when he had lost, so he stood up and followed them.

_Authors note: Xiatian is mandarin (chinese) for "summer", I thought it would fit: Not too obviously, not too unmeaning. _


End file.
